Friday, April 18, 2014

Caudalie Favorites Set - Travel/Trial Sized Beauty

I discovered the Caudalie Favorites Set ($32 for five items in a travel bag) when I attended the Venice Boutique Opening last month. One thing I love about Caudalie is they carry smaller sized items that are perfect for travel or those who want to try something out before committing to a full size product. The travel-sized beauty items are all decently priced, this 2014 Favorites Set is a $57 value, but priced at $32. This year's favorites set comes with the following:

Lip Conditioner - 4.5 ml

Hand and Nail Cream - 30 ml

Vinosource Sorbet - 10 ml

Cleansing Water - 50 ml

Beauty Elixir - 30 ml

I have already been using the Cleansing Water for quite some time now but never tried the other items. I've been testing for about a month now and have been pleasantly surprised and impressed with Caudalie's skincare line. My thoughts on each item below (you can refer to Caudalie website for the ingredient list).

Cleansing Water is a gentle but effective cleansing water. It's good for removing face makeup but isn't strong enough for long-wear eye makeup like mascara or eyeliner. My cleansing process usually involves multiple steps. To make sure I remove all my makeup at the end of the day, I usually remove makeup with cotton pad (I like Shiseido and Chanel) soaked with a cleansing water. Caudalie is among my favorites because it's soothing, calming and refreshing. It is lightly fragranced with orange and lemon blossom, watermelon, and mint leaves - but it's not overpowering. What I like about this one is it hydrates the skin while cleaning it, but it doesn't leave a film on the skin after application. (Ingredients here.)

Beauty Elixir is one of those products that has reached cult-status. It's a mix of toner/serum mist with essential oils and plant active ingredients. I spritz this on the face when I want added hydration or a refresher. It's a bit dewy for me but in a good way. I do think those sensitive to fragrance or those with oily skin will want to pass on this one. It's not overpowering but the scent is on the stronger side with mint and herbal scents. I recommend testing in store if you're unsure about face sprays in general. (I'm testing a few other face sprays right now and will do another post on them in a few weeks.) I personally like this one for a quick pick-me-up and even though I'm sensitive to fragranced skincare items this one is subtle enough for me to use without irritation or breakouts. (Ingredients here.)

Hand and Nail Cream has had mixed reviews. Many have commented that it has been reformulated recently (check the reviews on Sephora). It's described as a concentrated hand cream with antioxidant grape
polyphenols and reparative organic fair trade shea butter, this Hand
and Nail Cream leaves skin soft and nourished. I never tried the older version so I can't compare the two, but this version absorbs quickly into the hands. I tend to prefer hand creams that dry down so they don't leave everything feeling too moisturized/greasy. While I was a the Venice boutique one of the reps mixed in their Divine Oil with the hand and nail cream to add more moisture. I know many of you have been asking me for a post on my hand and nail care, I've been working on a post and hope to have it published soon. I've added the Caudalie Hand and Nail cream to my favorites list. It smells like grapes and gives the hands a smoother look. If you have super dry hands you might find this not moisturizing enough. (Ingredients here.)

Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet is yet another cult-status product. I'm always really hesitant to try new skincare items because I have sensitive skin. Many have described this is as a light airy fluffy cream which I find to be the best description. It's a very lightweight moisturizer that helped calm down my skin. It's designed for sensitive skin and after testing this for a month I'm almost finished with the small trial size. I can't say it has improved my skin, but then it hasn't made it worse and I have had no reactions to this. I'm undecided whether or not to purchase the full size. I like that it's lightweight and fragrance is light (for me). (Ingredients here.)

Lip Conditioner has a similar feel and scent to that of Fresh Sugar Lip balms but the Caudalie feels better on my lips and it's not quite as heavily fragranced. Reviews have also indicated this has been reformulated but this is my first time trying it so I can't compare. I'm not a huge fan of the plastic packaging but it's proven to be more sturdy than it looks. The formula is very nice. It moisturizes my sensitive lips and fixes any peeling problems that I get with some lipsticks (ie MAC). It has a smooth emollient feel that isn't quite as thick as my other favorites (Jo Malone, Hourglass, By Terry). Huge thumbs up for this one. (Ingredients here.)

I purchased my Favorites Set from the Venice Boutique. It's also available online at Sephora and online at Caudalie (free shipping on their site with $50+ orders, also a gift with code C15gift through April 21st or while supplies last). Most items are also available in travel sizes individually.

Have you tried Caudalie's Favorites Set? Or anything else from the line? Please share what your
experiences have been. One of my goals this year is to learn more about skincare items. Have you noticed any changes with the formulas?

8 comments:

I have extremely sensitive rosacea prone skin, and the Caudalie SOS thirst quenching serum has been amazing for me. I've gone through 3 bottles in the last year, and will keep purchasing it as my hydration step when my skin is dehydrated. My all time favourite serum would still be Guerlain SOS serum (calms down irritated skin immediately), but this one is perfect for hydrating very sensitive skin.

I'm a loyal fan of the lip conditioner, sorbet, and hand and nail cream! I like the reformulated hand and nail cream more, because it is just effective and they took silicone out! I don't have silicone sensitivities, but silicone just doesn't DO anything for my skin. I am still regretting not picking up one more set of the limited edition trio hand cream that came out last Christmas: I'm halfway through my LAST TUBE *sobs*

I havent tried much from Caudalie, except for their hand cream which I love, but I want to and have had my eyes on this kit for awhile. After seeing this post, I think I will definitely purchase!http://youarebeaut.blogspot.com/

The Beauty Elixir formula has definitely changed over the years. The smell is much more mint based and the formula a little more oily than it used to be (my unfortunate habit of bulk buying when in France means I have a selection of older bottle to compare). I still find it a refreshing spray but the fragrance is definitely a little more love/hate than it used to be. Susan, London

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